Digital Camera - Courtesy-www.dpreview.com

Digital Camera

Digital cameras come with a dial that allows you to choose the mode suited to the kind of picture you want to take of your subject without having to worry about the appropriate shutter speed or lens aperture. The right combination of shutter speed and lens aperture is automatically set by the camera once a shooting mode is selected.

These modes are represented by certain symbols found on a dial on the camera. You want to fully understand what such symbols represent, and what type of shooting situations they are suited for. The modes are:

  • Automatic. This is represented by an image of a camera with the words “AUTO” underneath. It is the setting you use when you do not need any special effect.

  • Landscape. The symbol for this is two mountains. It is used to capture expansive sceneries, keeping both the foreground and the distant images in sharp focus.

  • Sports/Action. Symbolized by a running athlete, this mode allows you to freeze your subject’s action. Its fast shutter speed eliminates blurring, and can also be used to take a series of shots in rapid succession.

  • Macro/Portrait. The symbol for this mode is a flower. It enables you to take very close and frame-filling photos of your subject such as a flower. Pictures such as these are very powerful as they allow your viewer to see minute details about your subject.

  • Night landscape. A star is added to the two mountains of the landscape mode to signify that this setting is for low-light conditions. In this mode, a slow shutter speed is set to allow nighttime colors to pass through your camera’s lenses. With this slow shutter, however, be sure to maintain a steady hold on your camera. Better yet, use a tripod.

  • Night portrait. For this mode, a star is set beside a human image. It is intended to soften the background of your subject when taking photos at night or in low-light conditions. This will enhance your subject and lessen any distraction from the background. You may further strengthen your subject’s image by keeping it within flash range.

  • Party. This is symbolized by a party hat, and is intended for taking indoor pictures in the nighttime or in low-light settings.

  • Sunset. A figure of the sun sinking into a sea of horizontal lines depicts this mode and is meant is take great pictures of sunsets. It automatically selects the best exposure and white balance settings that will faithfully portray the whole range of colors seen during sunsets.

A few new models of digital cameras may include additional modes but these are the most commonly featured settings. Get acquainted with them through constant use, and your pictures will soon start looking like they’ve been taken by a pro.